Abstract:

The matter of the language policy of the SAPS and the language attitudes of
police officials is a topical, but largely unexplored issue. Little progress has
been made to address this issue.
This thesis investigates language attitudes of SAPS constables and the
impact thereof on language planning in the SAPS.
This study tests the hypothesis that the absence of a language policy in the
SAPS leads to a discrepancy between the constitutional provisions and
language practice in the SAPS. Furthermore, this discrepancy has an impact
on the language attitudes of constables in the SAPS. This poses challenges
for language planning.
The main aims of the study are to ascertain the current language practice in
the SAPS and to investigate the language attitudes and preferences of
constables.
The investigation was conducted in accordance with the triangulation method,
i.e. conclusions were only drawn after the data presented by the literature
study and each of the empirical components were compared and verified by
means of, inter alia, statistical methods. The literature review, which is an
exposition of the language policy and language practice in both the SAPS and
South Africa, provides the theoretical framework for the empirical study. The
empirical study includes a questionnaire completed by constables and
interviews with constables and other stakeholders at the helm of policy,
management and training.
Chapter 1 states the background, problem, hypotheses and objectives of the
study. A theoretical exposition of language policy, language planning and
language attitude is presented in Chapter 2. Chapter 3 contains a description
of the language context of the constables with reference to the language
policy, trends and practice in South Africa. The discrepancy between
language policy and language practice in the SAPS is highlighted in
Chapter 4. This entails a discussion on the language policy and practice in
the SAPS, the training of the constables, as well as problems resulting from
the current language practice in the SAPS. The empirical research design is
discussed in Chapter 5. The results of the empirical research are discussed
in Chapter 6, and conclusions and recommendations are stated in Chapter 7.
The results show that English is the predominant language in the SAPS. The
constables have a positive attitude towards English in the SAPS in spite of
their poor proficiency in the language. Afrikaans is used in official situations in
the SAPS, but the indigenous languages are used mostly in informal
situations. The respondents reported a positive attitude towards the
indigenous languages. The research also highlights the lack of language
training in basic police training as well as in-service training. The use of
English and Afrikaans on an interim basis in the absence of an official
language policy is a contributing factor to the poor language proficiency of
especially constables who are not mother tongue speakers of the languages
in question.
It is recommended that language training should form part of the basic police
training and in-service training. The SAPS should also finalise a language
policy which entails the promotion of multilingualism and development of the
indigenous languages for official use.